Met Police launches investigation into suspended Reform MP Rupert Lowe over ‘verbal threats’
The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into suspended Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
It comes after the party revealed they had referred him to police and stripped him of the whip on Friday, alleging he made “verbal threats” against chairman Zia Yousaf – which Mr Lowe denies.
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A spokesperson for the Met told Sky News they have now launched an investigation “into an allegation of a series of verbal threats made by a 67-year-old man”.
They added: “Our original statement referred to alleged threats made in December 2024. We would like to clarify that when this matter was reported to us, it referred to a series of alleged threats made between December 2024 and February 2025.
“Further enquiries are ongoing at this stage.”
In response to the update, Mr Lowe said he was unaware of the specific allegations but denied wrongdoing.
“I have instructed lawyers to represent me in this matter,” he said.
“My lawyers have made contact with the Met Police, and have made them aware of my willingness to co-operate in any necessary investigation.
“My lawyers have not yet received any contact from the police. It is highly unusual for the police to disclose anything to the media at this stage of an investigation.
“I remain unaware of the specific allegations, but in any event, I deny any wrongdoing.
“The allegations are entirely untrue.”
Why was Rupert Lowe suspended?
In a statement on Friday, Reform claimed it had received evidence from staff of “derogatory and discriminating remarks made about women” by Mr Lowe, 67, who was elected to his Great Yarmouth seat last year.
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Reform UK row: Who said what?
The statement also claimed Mr Lowe had “on at least two occasions made threats of physical violence” against Mr Yusuf and “accordingly, this matter is with the police”.
Mr Lowe denied the claims, describing them as “vexatious” and said it was “no surprise” that it had come a day after he raised “reasonable and constructive questions” about Reform leader Nigel Farage.
In an interview with the Daily Mail on Thursday, Mr Lowe had said Reform remains a “protest party led by the Messiah” under the Clacton MP.
Asked whether he thought the former UKIP leader had the potential to become prime minister, as his supporters have suggested, Mr Lowe said: “It’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods. He can only deliver if he surrounds himself with the right people.”
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He also claimed that he was “barely six months into being an MP” himself and “in the betting to be the next prime minister”.
War of words escalates
Those words could have struck a nerve with Mr Farage after Elon Musk, the Tesla and Space X billionaire who has become one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, suggested the Reform leader “doesn’t have what it takes” and that Mr Lowe should take over.
The pair launched bitter personal attacks on each other in articles for the Sunday Telegraph, with Mr Farage accusing Mr Lowe of falling out with all his fellow Reform MPs due to “outbursts” and “inappropriate” language.
He also quoted Labour minister Mike Kane, who said after a confrontation with Mr Lowe in the Commons that his anger “showed a man not in charge of his own faculties”.
In his article, Mr Lowe repeated his claim there is no credible evidence against him, said he was the victim of a “witch hunt” and the Reform UK leadership was unable even to accept the most mild constructive criticism.
The US House of Representatives has voted in favor of nullifying a rule that would have required decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to report to the Internal Revenue Service.
On March 11, the House of Representatives voted 292 for and 132 against a motion to repeal the so-called IRS DeFi broker rule that aimed to expand existing IRS reporting requirements to crypto.
All 132 votes to keep the rule were Democrats. However, 76 of those in the party joined the Republican vote to repeal it.
This follows the US Senate’s March 4 vote on the motion to repeal, which saw it pass with a vote of 70 to 27.
The rule would force DeFi platforms, such as decentralized exchanges, to disclose gross proceeds from crypto sales, including information regarding taxpayers involved in the transactions.
Speaking after the vote, Republican Representative Mike Carey, who submitted the repeal motion, said, “The DeFi broker rule invades the privacy of tens of millions of Americans, hinders the development of an important new industry in the United States and would overwhelm the IRS.”
Congressman Mike Carey speaking after the vote. Source: Mike Carey
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill also applauded the overturning of the rule, calling it “a clear example of government overreach that threatens to push American digital asset development overseas.”
The resolution will need to pass another Senate vote before being sent to President Donald Trump, who has signaled he’d support it.
Those opposing the rule repeal included Democrat Representative Lloyd Doggett, who said getting a “special interest exemption” from IRS disclosures “makes tax evasion and money laundering so much easier for wealthy Republican donors who have been using these decentralized exchanges.”
He claimed killing the rule would create a “loophole that would be exploited by wealthy tax cheats, drug traffickers and terrorist financiers.”
Related: US lawmakers advance resolution to repeal ‘unfair’ crypto tax rule
In early March, White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks said the administration would support congressional efforts to rescind the DeFi broker rule.
At the time, officials from the Office of Management and Budget wrote “This rule … would stifle American innovation and raise privacy concerns over the sharing of taxpayers’ personal information, while imposing an unprecedented compliance burden on American DeFi companies.”
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Securities exchange Cboe BZX is seeking permission from US regulators to incorporate staking into Fidelity’s Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to a March 11 filing.
The filing marks Cboe’s latest attempt to support staking for the Ether (ETH) funds traded on its US exchange.
Cboe’s proposed rule change would allow Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH) to “stake, or cause to be staked, all or a portion of the Trust’s ether through one or more trusted staking providers,” the filing said.
The Fidelity Ethereum Fund is among the most popular Ether ETFs, with nearly $1 billion in assets under management, according to data from VettaFi.
In February, Cboe asked permission to add staking to another Ether ETF, the 21Shares Core Ethereum ETF.
Staking Ether enhances returns and involves posting ETH as collateral with a validator in exchange for rewards.
As of March 11, staking Ether yields approximately 3.3% APR, denominated in ETH, according to Staking Rewards.
Other popular cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL), also feature staking mechanisms.
Staking rewards by asset type. Source: Staking Rewards
Related: SEC seeks comment on in-kind redemptions for Bitcoin, Ether ETFs
Proposed rule changes
The US Securities and Exchange Commission must still approve Cboe’s proposed rule changes before staking can commence.
In February, the SEC acknowledged more than a dozen exchange filings related to cryptocurrency ETFs, according to records.
The SEC’s acknowledgments highlight how the agency has softened its stance on crypto since US President Donald Trump started his second term on Jan. 20.
In addition to staking, the filings, submitted by Cboe and other exchanges, addressed proposed rule changes concerning options, in-kind redemptions and new types of altcoin funds.
Cboe has also asked permission to list Canary and WisdomTree’s proposed XRP (XRP) ETFs and support in-kind creations and redemptions for Fidelity’s Bitcoin (BTC) and ETH ETFs, among other proposed changes.
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A member of the Texas legislature has proposed a bill that could limit the amount local and state authorities invest in cryptocurrency as a reserve asset.
In a bill filed on March 10, Texas Representative Ron Reynolds proposed the state’s comptroller not be allowed to invest more than $250 million of its Economic Stabilization Fund — otherwise known as a “rainy day” fund — in Bitcoin (BTC) or other cryptocurrencies. The legislation also suggested that Texas municipalities or counties could not invest more than $10 million in crypto.
HB 4258, filed by Texas Representative Ron Reynolds. Source: Texas legislature
The proposed bill followed the Texas Senate passing legislation on March 6 to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve in the state. The SB 21 bill seemingly could allow the Texas comptroller to have no limit on purchasing BTC for a reserve, based on the most recent draft.
Related: Bitcoin reserve backlash signals unrealistic industry expectations
The plan for a strategic Bitcoin reserve in Texas was one of many separate bills proposed in US state governments following the inauguration of President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers winning control of the US House of Representatives and Senate. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said in January that the state’s legislative priorities for 2025 would include a proposal to establish a Texas Bitcoin Reserve.
Is there a partisan divide on state and federal crypto plans?
It’s unclear if Rep. Reynolds, a Democrat, intended to support the BTC reserve bill introduced by State Senator Charles Schwertner, a Republican, or propose restrictions in the event the legislation becomes law. If passed and signed by Governor Greg Abbott, the bill would take effect on Sept. 1. Cointelegraph reached out to Rep. Reynolds’ office for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Though Trump signed an executive order on March 7 to create a federal “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” and “Digital Asset Stockpile,” many legal experts have questioned the US president’s authority to enact specific policies through EOs. Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis reintroduced legislation on March 11 to codify the proposed BTC reserve into law in the Senate.
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